Woven wire belt for paper-making machines



N. W. WEBB Sept. 1, 1931.

WOVEN WIRE BELT FOR PAPER MAKING MACHINES Filed Sept. 10, 1929 [NIT EN TOR. AZ; 5 UN NMZBE.

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Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NELSON W. WEBB, OF BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EASTWOOD WIRE COR- PORATION, OF BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW WOVEN WIRE BELT FOR PAPER-MAKING- MACHINES Application filed September 10, 1929. Serial No. 391,619.

The present invention relates to woven wire belts, particularly for paper-making machines of the Fourdrinier type, and has for an object to provide an improved seam structure in which the lacing wire is so arranged that the seam closely approximates the structure of the body of the wire as to strength, flexibility and porosity. A- great objection to scam structures heretofore in use has been that they would not permit the pulp disposed over the seam to drain with the same degree of uniformity as the pulp on the body of the wire, and also produced a ridge so that the paper would be distinctly marked at the seam by a line extending across it.

It is an object of the invention to rovide a seam structure which will drain in conformity with the body of the wire, which will not mark the paper, and in which the tendency of the pulp to clog or pile up is obviated.

Another object is to facilitate the rolling down of the seam to make it flat after sew- 2 ing of the lacing wire.

A further object is to provide a seam which is not likely to bend and project above a the plane of the warp, and which will furthermore not be subject to excessive wear for breakage throu h engagement with the suction boxes of t e paper-making machine.

A still further object is to provide a seam structure in which the end weft wires are of elongated cross-section, and in which the lacing wire is so arranged as to draw snugly against the upper and lower surfaces of the end weft wires, so as to eliminate any gaps or .pockets in which pulp may become lod ed. To this end it is roposed to provi e a 40 seam in which the lacing wire is successively looped about the elongated cross-section butted end weft wires of the cloth in the same relation, that is, first over and under the weft wire at one end and then over and under the weft wire at the other end, the successive connecting portions being disposed in crisscross relation with each other, thus approximating in their arrangement the relation of the warp wires between the weft wires, and at the same time pulling snugly against the upper and lower elongated surfaces of the end weft wires.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the belt at the seam;

Fig. 2 is a further enlarged longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3'and 4: are sectional views showing modified forms of end weft wires, Fig. 3 showing an elliptical or oval cross-section, and Fig. 4 showing an elongated rectangular or ribbon-shaped cross-section.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown, greatly enlarged, a portion of the two ends of the wire cloth which are seamed together to form a belt, the portion, as shown, repre senting a piece of the belt which in its actual size is about of an inch in width. The

ewire cloth consists of warp wires 10 and weft wires 11 of copper, brass, bronze, or other suitable material for the purpose.

The end weft wires at each end of the cloth, which are butted, and about which the lacing wire is engaged, are preferably secured to the warp wire ends by a metallic union, so that these wires will resist the severe strains and stresses to which the belt is subjected in use in the paper-making machine, and which will furthermore be free of the whipping wires usually employed to secure the end weft wires. While the end weft wires may be secured in any desirable manner, I preferably employ the method disclosed in my Patent No. 1,747,274, granted February 18, 1930, which consists in providing a solder-covered wire of elongated cross-section at each end of the cloth to which heat is applied to produce solder joints at the points of intersection with the warp wire ends, "this method resulting in a "posed solder-covered wires 12 upon the application of heat, are joined strong, uniform union along the entire' width of the belt, the interstices between the wires being at the same time maintained free a of lumpy spots. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the end wire is formed of a pair of juxtaand. 13, which,

along their entire length to produce a unitary structure of elongated cross-section, being at the same time joined to the intersecting warp wire ends by a brazed metallic union, as indicated at 1 1. In Fig.3 I have shown a single solder-covered end weft wire 15 of substantially elli tical or .oval crosssection, and in Fig. 4 I ave shown a single solder-covered wire 16 of flat rectangular or ribbon-like cross-section. h

The seam is completed by hand-sewing the lacing wire 17 about the two butted ends of the length of wire cloth. According to the present embodiment of the invention the lacing wire is carried over and under the end weft wire at one side, and then over and under the end weft wire at the other side, being thus successively carried about the two end weft strands in the same over and under relation for the full width of the belt. The connecting portions are thus diagonally disposed in crisscross relation below the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the warp wires. The lacing wire thus approximates in appearance and structure the crisscross arrangement of the warp wires between the weft wires in the body of the wire cloth. The diagonal arrangement of the connecting portions of the lacing wires draws the looped portions snugly against the elongated upper and lower surface of the end weft wires eliminating any gaps or pockets in" which pulp may accumulate.

While I have shown the lacing wire sewed in every other mesh hole, it will be under stood that it may be sewed in every mesh hole, or in any other combination.

The lacing wire is. free of any portions that may project or bend above the plane of the cloth so that it is protected against the danger of being cut off by the suction boxes over which the belt moves. The porosity, flexibility, and structure of the seam, closely approximating the body of the wire, greatly reduces the chance of showing a seam markin the paper. The seam structure may be rolled flat, after sewing of'the lacing wire, with greater facility than heretofore, and in putting the wire in the paper machine there is less danger of bending the seam and making the lacing wire project above the lane of the warp, as has been the case with many seam structures previously known.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it will be obvious-that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is I r -1. In a wire cloth'belt, a length of woven wire cloth comprising warp and weft wires, and including a weft strand at each end of elongated cross-section longitudinally of the cloth and adapted to have a lacing wire looped about it, and a lacing wire looped about said end weft wires and including diagonally disposed portions looped from the upper to the under side of one end weft wire and then looped from the upper to the under side of the other end weft wire without passing over warp knuckles and whereby the lacing wire is drawn snugly upon the elongated surfaces of the end weft wires to eliminate gaps.

2. In a wire cloth belt, a length of woven wire cloth comprising warp and weft wires, and including a weft strand at each end of elongated cross-section longitudinally of the cloth and adapted to have a lacing wire looped about it, and a lacing wire looped about said end weft wires and including diagonally disposed portions extending from the under side of one end weft wire to the upper side of the other end weft wire, and other diagonally disposed portions extending from the under side of said last-mentioned end weft wire to the upper side of said first-mentioned end weft wire, in crisscross relation to said first-mentioned diagonally disposed portion, said lacing wire being looped about said end weft wires without passing over war knuckles, and whereby the lacing wire is drawn snugly upon the elongated surfaces of the'end weft wires to eliminate gaps. I

3. In a wire cloth belt, a length of woven wire cloth comprising warp and weft wires, and including a weft strand at each end of elongated cross-section longitudinally of the cloth and adapted to have a lacing wire looped about it, and a lacing wire carried over and under said respective end weft wires in the same relation successively, the connecting portions of said lacing wire between said end weft wires being in crisscross relation, without passing over warp knuckles, and whereby the lacing wire is drawn snugly upon the elongated surfaces ofthe end weft wires to eliminate gaps.

Signed at Bel'leville, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, this 30th day of August, 1929. NELSQN W. WEBB. 

